2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

Researches on the Western shipwrecks in the Ryukyu Archipelago for clarification of the existing conditions and establishment of the underwater archaeological parks

Research Project

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Project/Area Number	19K01115
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
Allocation Type	Multi-year Fund
Section	一般
Review Section	Basic Section 03050:Archaeology-related
Research Institution	Kyushu University
Principal Investigator	KATAGIRI CHIAKI 九州大学, 比較社会文化研究院, 共同研究者 (70804730)
Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha)	菅浩伸九州大学, 比較社会文化研究院, 教授 (20294390) 坂上憲光東海大学, 海洋学部, 教授 (20373102) 小野林太郎国立民族学博物館, 人類文明誌研究部, 准教授 (40462204) 渡辺美季東京大学, 大学院総合文化研究科, 准教授 (60548642)
Project Period (FY)	2019-04-01 – 2023-03-31
Keywords	水中考古学 / 西欧沈没船遺跡 / イギリス船 / 座礁・沈没海域の特定 / 苦力貿易 / ロンドンでの報道 / 方形花崗岩石材の再利用 / 水中遺跡公園
Outline of Final Research Achievements	Previously, about the stranding and sinking of foreign ships on Miyako Island during the Ryukyu Kingdom period, fragmental archaeological information, historical documents and folklore had only been told. However, underwater archaeological research as the core of this project, succeeded in identifying the location of a shipwreck, as well as the actual condition of the ship and the whole picture of the archaeological site, through the artefacts proving the ship to be a Western vessel and its specific cargo. In addition, research of British documents for the first time revealed detailed historical records from before and after the incident. Through this research, a joint research relationship with the Miyakojima City Board of Education has been established, and the divers and fishermen cooperated with our research were able to deepen their understanding of underwater cultural heritage, thus laying the good groundwork for the establishment of an underwater archaeological site park.
Free Research Field	海洋考古学
Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements	本研究はこれまで文献・伝承で語られてきた宮古島における異国船の座礁・沈没事件をテーマとした結果、近世・近代アジア史を考える上で歴史の教科書にも掲載されているほど重要な“苦力貿易”を担ったイギリス船の実態を、水中考古学的手法によって沈没船遺跡から明らかとしたことに学術的意義がある。また、沈没船遺跡を保存・管理することを目的に水中遺跡公園の設置を目指して地元教育委員会及び実際にその海を利用するダイビングショップや海人と連携し、新たに掘り起こされた宮古島の歴史を一般に普及できたことに社会的意義がある。